State: Ceremonial fanfare absent at signing of tax-break bill

Gov. Jeb Bush has made quite a show of signing bills this year, sometimes more than once. The ceremonial bill signings are pure publicity stunts, since the real work already happened back in Tallahassee. Bush is maintaining a tradition begun by his predecessor, Lawton Chiles, who also repeatedly signed the same bill for different audiences (and media markets).

"It's called a victory lap," said Chiles' former communications director, Ron Sachs. "It's a smart thing to do, especially in an election year. In 1994, we used it to great effect."

Bush recently signed the same bill in three cities, prompting an Orlando TV reporter to ask the governor why he signed the same bill three times. "I didn't," he said. Technically true: The real signing already had happened.

Still, not all bill signings get the full ceremonial treatment. On June 7, for example, Bush was nowhere to be seen when he signed a $262-million corporate tax break.

Instead, the governor's office sent out a news release after 6 p.m. Not a single newspaper wrote about it the next day.

* * *

The White House sees Bush as vulnerable in his re-election bid. That assessment was not intended for public consumption, but it was recently included in private Power Point presentations about the national political landscape by the president's top political adviser, Karl Rove, and political director, Ken Mehlman.

Somebody managed to drop a computer disk containing the presentation in Washington's Lafayette Park. A Democratic Senate staffer found it in the park and then happily shared it with the world. Florida was listed as one of six states where Democrats might pick off a Republican governor. It is also one of 25 states, where Republican U.S. House members have competitive races, though they were not specified.

Bush is comfortably leading in polls so far, but Democrats seized on the slide presentation as evidence of his weakness. Unfortunately for Democrats, it also could fire up Republicans to pump even more money at Bush's re-election bid.

* * *

Conventional wisdom has Janet Reno sweeping the black vote, but two of Florida's three black members of Congress, all Democrats, are not hopping on the Reno bandwagon.

"Janet Reno can't win," said U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings of Broward County, a Reno stronghold. "I told her that if she hadn't seen Waco burning enough, Bill Clinton kissing Monica enough, and Elian being snatched enough, then she should run for governor." He favors Bill McBride.

U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown of Jacksonville has her own dream ticket: McBride and state Sen. Daryl Jones of Miami.

Miami's Carrie Meek, meanwhile, hasn't decided whether she'll endorse anyone.

Dick Cheney recently wrote North Florida resident Robert Barish to tell him that "a special place of honor" was reserved for him, one of the president's "closest supporters," at President's Dinner with George W. and Laura Bush on Wednesday.

Barish, 36, really wants to go but has a small problem: He's serving a life sentence for sexual battery on a child under 12.

So Barish asked the president's brother, Gov. Jeb, to help him. Clemency, perhaps? A Bush spokeswoman knew of no such plans.

Bill McBride's poll numbers are inching upward, but still well behind Reno. One way to grab the spotlight: Pick a running mate.

He can wait until after the Sept. 10 primary, but McBride might not be around then.

The candidate wouldn't name names, but the buzz has McBride eyeing South Florida, Reno's base. Some names floating around: Miami-Dade County Commissioner Jimmy Morales, Broward County commissioners Ilene Lieberman and Lori Parrish and Sen. Tom Rossin of Royal Palm Beach.

Other possibilities include state Sen. Kendrick Meek of Miami and Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas. When asked, Penelas didn't exactly say no. He wants to finish his term through 2004 "so that's something I would really have to think about." He thinks McBride has the best shot of beating Bush.

And who might Reno pick? Some suggest Tallahassee mayor and attorney general candidate Scott Maddox. But a lot of folks point to McBride.

But McBride isn't one of them. "That's not going to be in the cards," he said.

The battle between the Senate and the influential Associated Industries business lobby grinds on long after the 2002 Legislature shut down. The group last week ranked Senate President John McKay, R-Sarasota, dead last among all 160 lawmakers for pro-business voting, with a record of 13 percent.

The lowest-ranking House member, Minority Leader Lois Frankel, D-West Palm Beach, had a pro-business record of 42 percent.

McKay and AIF clashed over tax reform, with AIF president Jon Shebel accusing McKay of threatening his firm's future the night before the session began.

-- Steve Bousquet and Adam C. Smith were on spin patrol. Send tips, thoughts, suggestions to spinpatrol@sptimes.com.

Back to State news

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright

Special Links

Lucy Morgan

From the Times state desk